Get The News Here Fast

Category Archives: SCIENCE

There are many places on this Earth that humans just aren’t meant to be in. They are nightmarish glimpses of hell and horror that should be tucked away and stay that way. But, if you’re feeling brave (or insane) it would be easy to visit any of these places on this list.

Although, they just make us feel a whole lot of NOPE.

1. The Door to Hell, Turkmenistan: The large, fiery pit was originally a gas field that was set on fire by Soviet scientists, because they thought that’d be a fine idea. It has been burning continuously now for over 40 years.

For some reason, spiders are drawn to this real-life Hellmouth and swarm there by the thousands. We think because of the evil.

2. Island of the Dolls, Mexico: This place is a mostly uninhabited island in Xochimilco, Mexico. According to the legend, a girl died in the canals surrounding the island.

After her death, dolls began to wash ashore. Then, the one inhabitant began hanging the dolls as a tribute to the deceased child.

3. Centralia, Pennsylvania: Centralia is the real-life Silent Hill (and the movie was based on this location, right down to the creepy church). It was once a mining town until the coal veins under the city accidentally caught fire.

The mines have been burning continuously since 1962.

4. Muynak, Uzbekistan: Muynak was once a busy port city on the Aral Sea.

The Soviets unintentionally drained it while creating irrigation. Today, the skeleton boats still sit on the dry sea bed.

5. Kabayan Mummy Caves, The Philippines: These manmade caves are full of some of the most well-preserved mummies in the world.

They are isolated in a remote mountain. They are filled literally to the brim with corpses.

6. Kryziu Kalnas, Lithuania: The “hill of crosses” was once a ceremonial site where Lithuanians would mourn their dead lost at war.

The Soviet Union bulldozed it twice, only for the locals to build it even bigger. There are over 100,000 crosses there today.

7. Cincinatti’s Subway, Ohio: In the early 1900s, Cincinatti attempted to build a subway system, but they ran out of funding.

The empty tunnels still exist, half-way finished and running along the underbelly of the city.

8. Akodessewa Fetish Market, Togo: Over half of the population in Togo continue to practice indigenous beliefs, they have a market specifically for those beliefs.

You can find dead animals, bones and mysterious concoctions. Travelers should probably avoid said market.

9. Wonderland, China: The Chinese government attempted to build a Disneyland-like theme park, but much larger. They faced construction problems and the project was trashed.

The remains of the theme park are still standing today, completely open to anyone brave enough to visit.

10. The Catacombs of Paris, France: The Parisian Catacombs hold approximately 6 million bodies. The space spans the entire city, full of macabre scenes.

It’s the city beneath the city… but it’s for the dead.

Sometimes, it’s best just to let places be. Especially if they have been touched by evil. Or Soviets.

Caves and other natural land formations are wonderful places to visit while you’re on vacation. Their beauty (and maybe all of their creepy inhabitants) are a great example of nature’s power. However, there is a cave just outside of the city center of Trinidad, Cuba, that unlike almost every other cavern. This cave is just a short walk away, on a nondescript path. No matter how plain it looks from the outside, once you visit it, you’ll never forget it.

The cave is located about 10 minutes away (walking) from the city center.

Disco Ayala has 5 dance floors (3 small ones) and 3 bars.

It’s open from 11:00pm – 3:00am, 7 days a week.

Each night around 1am, there is a show on the dance floor.

Source: Alain Sojourner If you want to explore the cave during the day time, you may be able to convince a security guard on duty (with the help of a few bucks) to let you look around inside. Also, be cautious on the walk to the club. Although it’s a relatively safe area, it’s always a good idea to walk with a group on dark roads at night. Have fun partying like no one else does. If you visit Disco Ayala, you may have trouble convincing people the pictures are real. Share this awesome place to explore by clicking below.

This world we live in is a mighty big place. There are lots of wonders that are worth seeing sometime in your life, or accomplishments someone could work towards. For instance, driving through the lower 48 states in the US is an awesome travel idea to put on your bucket list. However, there are some ideas that are a little less awesome and only the brave should attempt. The places you see below are some of the most frightening and dangerous trails in the world… they aren’t for the faint of heart. (My hands are clammy just looking at them.)

1.) Huangshan Paths (China): Huangshan is a mountain range in southern Anhui province in eastern China. There are more than 30 touring paths in total in Huangshan mountains, and it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s known for it’s view of the clouds, unique rock formations and the Huangshan Pine trees.

2.) Capri Island Path (Italy): This path is located on the Italian island of Capri, starting from an elevation of 400 feet high. The zigzagging Via Krupp, which was carved into the island’s south coast in 1902, reopened recently after being closed for 30 years and restored.

3.) The Walkways of the Tianmen Mountain (China): Tianmen Mountain is a mountain located within Tianmen Mountain National Park, Zhangjiajie, in northwestern Hunan Province, China. The Tianmenshan Guigu Cliff Path is built among cliffs and tourists can walk on these paths built onto the cliff face at the top of the mountain, including sections with glass floors. It is one of the world’s highest observation platforms.

4.) Skellig Island Path (Ireland): Skellig Michael is an island near Ireland. A Christian monastery was founded on the island at some point between the 6th and 8th century, but was later abandoned in the 12th century. The remains of this monastery, along with most of the island itself, are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The stone steps wind around the cliffs and the trail has over 600 steps that are over 1,000 years old.

5.) Path to Gaztelugatxe (Spain): This path is located on Gaztelugatxe in Spain, a tiny islet on the coast of Biscay belonging to the municipality of Bermeo, in Basque Country (Spain). A hermitage from the 9th or 10th century stands on top of of the island, connected to a narrow stone path filled with steps.

6.) Santorini’s Donkey Path (Greece): This zigzag walkway was built so that donkeys could more easily make the climb up the side of the island. The distance from one end to the other is 4,265 feet. There are 657 tall steps on the walkway.

7.) Blue Mountains Mid Cliff Walk (Australia): The Blue Mountains is a mountainous region in New South Wales, Australia. It borders on Sydney’s metropolitan area. The Mid Cliff Walk is a path that is carved into the sheer cliff face. There are handrails, ladders and lookouts all along the path, offering wonderful views of Jamison Valley. As long as they don’t mind heights.

8.) Yosemite’s Half Dome Trail (USA): The Dome’s peak is nearly 5,000 feet above Yosemite Valley and 8,800 feet above sea level. The Half Dome is a Yosemite icon and a great challenge to many hikers. Despite an 1865 report declaring that it was “perfectly inaccessible, being probably the only one of the prominent points about the Yosemite which never has been, and never will be, trodden by human foot,” George Anderson reached the summit in 1875, in the process laying the predecessor to today’s cable route.

9.) Vintgar Gorge Trail (Slovenia): The Bled Gorge or Vintgar Gorge is located in Slovenia in the Municipality of Gorje. It was originally carved out by the Radovna River and the canyon walls are 160 to 330 feet high, with a total slope measuring about 820 feet.

10.) Ebenalp Path (Switzerland): The Ebenalp is the northernmost summit of the Appenzell Alps. A path that leads up the mountain to the Aescher mountain restaurant is peppered with ancient caves and amazing views. It’s one of the easiest paths on this list to tackle, as the hike would only take you about 20 minutes.

11.) Cap Carbon Paths (Algeria): The Carbon Cap is an algerian cape located in Wilaya de Bejaia, north of the port of Bejaia. Visitors who come to this place can enjoy the long winding trails carved into the rock of the peninsula with great views to the Mediterranean Sea.

12.) The “Death Trail” (China): Mt. Huashan in Huayin City, China is a natural wonder to behold and naturally dangerous to scale, being one of the most precipitous mountains in the area. It has breathtaking cliff faces and sharp crags in its high mountain range. The “Death Trail” is full of narrow passes made only of wooden planks and carved rock faces. Climbers do not need any technical skill to go on the hike, but extreme caution is advised.

13.) Highline Trail (USA): The Highline Trail is one of the premiere hiking trails in Glacier National Park. The Highline Trail begins at Logan Pass on the Going to the Sun Road and then runs north, following the Continental Divide in the process, to Fifty Mountain Campground, a distance of about 20 miles. It is one of the most beautiful trails you can hike in the country.

Hiking is one thing. Climbing through an obviously-deadly jungle to reach a trail that will probably kill you is another. Wow. Source: reddit

As if he hadn’t done enough to get the public at large interested in space with his zero-gravity version of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity”(video below), Col. Chris Hadfield has released a book of photographs taken from the international space station called You Are Here: Around the World in 92 Minutes, published by Little Brown. These photos are a stunning example of how much beauty can come from a change in perspective. “Bird’s eye view” doesn’t cut it here: these photos are a rare glimpse of a view of earth seen by a relative few. These photos are an absolute delight.

1.) Close Neighbors: (left to right) Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit, Michigan, split by the Detroit River.

Before you get too happy or hopeful, remember one thing: everything in this world is probably trying to kill you. People, animals, weather and accidents are just a few of the things that could end our lives prematurely. But what about food? One thing most people don’t think is trying to kill us are the foods we eat everyday. Well now it’s time to add one more thing to the list.

Here are six foods you probably eat everyday that could potentially kill you if you’re not careful. (You can thank us later.)

1.) Wild Almonds.

This delicious snack food can actually be deadly if eaten in the wild. Humans typically eat sweet almonds, as opposed to wild almonds (which taste bitter). Besides tasting bad, these wild almonds also contain a very unhealthy dose of cyanide.

The next time you’re stranded in the woods and tempted to eat the almonds you find there. Don’t do it.

2.) Apples.

Yes it’s true, every one’s favorite fall time fruit can actually kill you. Of course, apples are only dangerous if you eat a whole lot of apple seeds. When your body digests the seeds, it sort of accidentally turns them in cyanide. Eat too many, and well you get the idea.

3.) Tomatoes.

Did you know tomatoes are members of the nightshade family? AKA the family of sorta poisonous plants? (Yep, I had no idea either.) The tomato itself is not necessarily bad for you, but stay away from its leaves. They’re full of harmful tomatine. Yuck.

4.) Kidney Beans.

Make sure you’re properly boiling your kidney beans. If not, then you might accidentally ingest a little toxin known as phytohaemagglutinin. It’s about as fun for your body as it is for you to say out loud.

5.) Potatoes.

Not all potatoes will kill you, but green potatoes will. Potatoes turn green if they are left out and exposed to light. First you’ll vomit profusely, then if you keep eating, you’ll have a heart attack and die.

In addition to green potatoes being dangerous, the leaves from potatoes will kill you. Believe it or not, people have actually died from drinking potato leaf tea.

6.) Cherries.

Watch out for those apples as we’re heading into prime apple picking season. Walking through an orchard might seem adorable, but if you eat a fistful of apple seeds? You’re probably going to have a bad time.

There are lots of strange or unique-looking plants in nature, most of which you probably don’t even know exist. Some are carnivorous or only bloom for a few hours every year… and some totally look like something else. When an object is a dead ringer for something else, it’s a phenomenon is known as pareidolia. The flowers you see below are exotic looking for a reason. They bloom in such a way so that animals or insects will be attracted to them and assist in pollinating the flowers. Even though there is a good reason for it, the resulting flower formations are still so weird (and often adorable).

1.) Monkey Face Orchid (Dracula Simia)

2.) Moth Orchid (Phalaenopsis)

3.) Naked Man Orchid (Orchis Italica)

4.) Hooker’s Lips (Psychotria Elata)

5.) Dancing Girls (Impatiens Bequaertii)

6.) Laughing Bumble Bee Orchid (Ophrys bomybliflora)

7.) Swaddled Babies (Anguloa Uniflora)

8.) Parrot Flower (Impatiens Psittacina)

9.) Snap Dragon Seed Pod (Antirrhinum)

10.) Flying Duck Orchid (Caleana Major)

11.) Orchid that looks like a tiger

12.) Happy Alien (Calceolaria Uniflora)

13.) Angel Orchid (Habenaria Grandifloriformis)

14.) Dove Orchid (Peristeria Elata)

15.) Ballerina Orchid

16.) White Egret Orchid (Habenaria Radiata)

17.) Darth Vader (Aristolochia Salvadorensis)

(H/T Bored Panda) These flowers in particular are all species of orchid, a flower family known for its exotic and fragrant blooms. Currently, there are between 21,950 and 26,049 currently accepted species of orchid. (Obviously, the best ones are the plants with blooms that look like tiny monkeys or faces.) Share these incredible flowers with others.

Each of us go through life, blissfully unaware of so many things. It’s completely normal; most people are familiar with only a small fraction of things that exist on this planet. Luckily, thanks to technological advances and photography, we can learn about the world in many different ways.

Take these rare and unusual photos, for example. You probably haven’t seen any of these before… but that didn’t stop them from existing. Learn a few things today by checking out these photos. You won’t be sorry.

30.) The space shuttle Atlantis seen by the International Space Station.

31.) A way to use old rail cars as bridges.

32.) An eclipse and a sunset, occurring at the same time.

33.) A loaf of glass art. Each slice is worth about $5,000.

Impressed? Hopefully, you were. There are a lot of wild and wonderful things on this planet. You just have to discover them! Share these epic photos with others by clicking below. They’re too good to keep to yourself.

Scientists didn’t always have fancy cameras. Capturing an image of their specimens or experiments used to be a huge ordeal. Before the modern era, scientists were also artists. They illustrated what they saw in the wild or in the laboratory.

Most scientists nowadays are probably happy they don’t need to double major in art. It is fascinating though to imagine a scientist working for hours and hours on pictures for their next book or publication. Here are a few of our favorite old school science drawings.

Animal species through time. From Popular Science Monthly, September 1905.

Prague has a reputation for having some of the best spas in the world. Prague is also known for some of the best beers in the world. So, while the Bernard Beer Spa might seem like a crazy idea, it actually makes a lot of sense. If there’s anywhere in the world that you’d consider taking a bath in a giant vat of beer, the capital of the Czech Republic is the place to do it.

Before you say no or fill your own bathtub with Coors Light and dive in head first, you should see what a proper beer bath looks like.

Looks like a normal bath. Well, a really nice normal bath. This explains why the beer bath treatments begin at around $100.

After thirty minutes of soaking in the hot water, brewer’s yeast, malt, and hops, you’ll be feeling better than ever (assuming it even takes THAT long).

That’s one interesting way to spend an afternoon. It seems like it’s even more relaxing than hanging out on the couch with a six pack, and you get to tell people you left your house that day. Not bad at all.

If you’d like to visit the Bernard Beer Spa and see what it’s like to lounge in some suds, take a look at their website.

People have lived on planet Earth for a long time. In the beginning, we didn’t know anything about science. Today we’re only just scratching the surface. What we’re learning is truly amazing, and it’s made all the better by slow motion. Here are 36 insanely awesome videos that show just how far we’ve come. From magic floating boats, to water pitchers made from sound waves, you won’t believe what you see.

1. Ever wonder how a dog drinks water?

2. This boat is “floating” in sulfur hexaflouride, which is much denser (and more dangerous) than carbon dioxide. It’s perfectly clear so it gives the illusion that the boat can float in mid-air.

3. What happens when you combine chlorine tablets and rubbing alcohol in a bottle?

4. Blood and snake venom DO NOT mix. You’ll want to avoid this cocktail.

5. The arctic summer “night,” ladies and gentlemen.

6. This is science’s best guess as to how the mysterious Easter Island heads were moved.

7. The Earth compared to the largest known star. Feel insignificant yet?

8. You’ll never have to wonder how a key works again.

9. Why don’t our strawberries ever look this good?

10. Gas in a jar + fire = smiley faces.

11. Sound waves can suspend water? Who knew?!

12. Soy sauce is incredibly high in sodium (we know, doctor) which causes dead fish nerves to become active and spasm.

13. Ladybugs have the most inefficient takeoff ever.

14. It’s like an incredibly painful vacuum cleaner!

15. Putting blood into hydrogen peroxide is awful.

16. OMG there are flying snakes in the world. They’re called Chrysopelea.

Ludwick Marishane shouldn’t expect a thank you from lazy people everywhere, but that’s not because he doesn’t deserve one. Six years ago, when he was only 17-years-old, he invented a product that allows people to clean themselves without having to turn on the shower or draw a bath: DryBath.

If you’re using DryBath to bathe, you don’t even need to use water. You simply put the lotion on your skin and rub. It’s like hand sanitizer, but for your entire body. You might as well start converting that shower of yours into the moldy, dark dwelling you’ve always wanted (finally, an authentic man cave!) now.

Ludwick Marishane

While DryBath is great for the sluggish shower-ers of the world, it’s even better for those with limited access to water. The lotion will allow them to save the little water they have for drinking or watering their crops.

If you were feeling lazy before reading this, prepare to feel worse. Chen Zhou, 26, climbed all five of China’s notable mountains. If that feat wasn’t impressive enough, he did it all without legs.

That’s right. Zhou took on 2,080 meter journeys with slopes that reach up to 96 degrees without the help of legs. If that doesn’t make you question whether you’re challenging yourself enough, nothing will. Most recently, Zhou took on Jianmen Pass, considered by many to be the most dangerous mountain in China. Take a look at his incredible journey!

Personally, I’ve always thought it would be cool to be a neon orange human. Now, I know that’s never going to happen. (That kind of thing is impossible right?) Strange color mutations and variations is actually possible for many creatures. In the animal kingdom, genetic mutations that result in pigment changes are actually fairly common. These changes can be subtle, or really drastic. Pink elephants anyone? Here are 27 of our favorites:

1.) Pink baby elephant. This may actually be the cutest thing ever.

2.) Black squirrel.

3.) A piebald deer. A piebald animal has white and brown patches rather than fur of a single color due to a genetic variation.

4.) Half albino peacock.

5.) Pink dragon fly, what?!

6.) “My camouflage is so awesome. They have no idea I’m here. Hehehe.”

Do you know what a Lockheed C-5 Galaxy is? If not, there is just one thing you need to know about this aircraft: it’s huge. It’s so big and bad, it’s almost hard to wrap your mind around it. The C-5 Galaxy is a large military transport aircraft built by Lockheed. The United States Air Force uses the Galaxy to carry large and insanely heavy cargo that will absolutely blow your mind.

A Galaxy can carry an A-10 Warthog with the wings and tail detached.

The plane can also carry a Mark 5 Special Operations boat. The entire boat.

And if you want to get meta, it can also carry a C-130 transport aircraft.

Source: Reddit This cargo plane is so big, it carries other cargo planes. It’s incredible that engineers were able to figure out a way to get this porky plane in the air. Share their amazing feat with others.